This was my first lacrosse romance, and it was very enjoyable. I would give it 3.5 stars, but Goodreads doesn't allow half stars. Colt and May's slow burn romance surprised me but also made sense in the context of the story. I did end the book wanting more of them, but I also appreciated the journey those characters took to get there. I do wish we got more scenes of them from the past because at times I didn't fully understand the hostility in the present. I was intrigued by their past and just wanted a touch more. May was such a great character, and I liked seeing her hold her own in every aspect of her life. Colt really was a golden retriever, and I liked how much he supported May, but I wish we got a little more of his story and dealing with rehabbing the injury. His mental block regarding lacrosse and how that affects his coaching ability was interesting, but I wish we got a little deeper into it. This book really felt like Mays, which I didn't mind, but in terms of the development for both parties I felt Colt's was lacking. I would recommend this book, especially to those who want a low-spice, slow burn romance, and I want to check out Esha Patel's other books.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Let's start by saying that I enjoyed this book and got an ARC from the author, so I want to thank her for that. It did take a little bit to get into with school and finals happening, but 4.5 is a solid rating from me.
First, I love the representation of women's sports taking off and getting the recognition they deserve. It has become a trend, especially with Caitlin Clark and all her success at the University of Iowa, and now with the Indiana Fever. So reading about that was very fun to see. We've both seen its effect on little girls and people getting women's sports.
Second, the romance was gorgeous and very realistic in my opinion. Colt is so down bad for May, it's not even funny, and sometimes May did get on my nerves for not seeing what was right in front of her. It is a slow burn, so just be aware of that, but I liked the storyline's fake dating aspect. I will say that May and Colt were "bad" at the "fake" part of their dating to get this sport well-known within the sports world. At one point, I was about to steal Colt for myself; he is such a golden retriever, it's not even funny. Put me in, Coach, May, if you won't take me, I will!!!
I'd recommend it to anyone who loves fake dating and slow-burning romance. Overall, great book.

I have this book a 2.5 ⭐️

The story fell really flat, I usually really enjoy sports romance but this one just wasn't for me!

I really enjoyed it in some parts but disliked it in others.

Thank you for sending me the arc

DNF’d @45%

The writing was boring and the dialogue felt drier than sand.

The story had potential but I just couldn’t bring myself to be interested.

I liked the fmc more than the mmc. The guy had no unique quality about him that stood out to me.

Overall, this book was a miss for me unfortunately.

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC! ♥︎

This is my first lacrosse romance book. I really enjoyed reading a new sport romance. I like the premise of this book. Second chance romance is one of my favorite books. I understand this is a YA book but I felt like the thing that tore them apart to be a little juvenile. I understand that they’re young so it’s hard to have a dramatic reason for a second chance. Colt not saying bye to May and that’s what drove a wedge between seemed unreasonable. But again, I get they were younger.

The perfect warm and fuzzy book I needed over the weekend.. Its one of my first lacrosse Romance that I am enjoying and to have my name again in the acknowledgements is such a good feeling. I enjoyed this book.

Sports romance, friends to lovers, second chance romance, fake dating tropes. A nice sweet read. I got the ARC from Avon Books UK | Avon via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book just fell a little flat for me - I didn’t engage well with the characters and wasn’t really sold or rooting for their romance! May and Colt are childhood “somethings” who both play Lacrosse and end up having a “Second Chance Romance” topped up with some fake dating on the lead up to a big championship. I enjoyed the sports element and some of the side characters but a lot just felt lacking.

I’ve read hockey and football and soccer and rugby, but I haven’t read lacrosse! And boy am I glad I added that to my “read” pile.

THOUGHTS 💭
🥍 This was a really good sports romance read with teammates and line dancing and second chances and friendship.
🥍 There are complex feelings of duty to one’s family and multi-generational livelihood, dreams that feel unattainable, and a grudge that our FMC holds against our MMC (who seemingly “easily” left our FMC and his family behind).
🥍 I simply adore a fake dating trope. It’s always SO good and then when real feeling develop (or rekindle)? Perfection.
🥍 I loved that a quinceañera and a Holi celebration were woven into this story! Having a half Mexican / half South Asian FMC enriched the story.
🥍 There’s this push and pull between May and Colt; the book features a slow burn that was frustrating, but exceedingly satisfying once they decided to be together “for real.”
🥍 This book was a bit slower than some of the others I’ve read by this author, but I still really enjoyed it!

Thanks so much to Esha Patel and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this book!

What a lovely sports/college romance and I loved the inclusion of women in sports as I feel that is a storyline/trope that is often missed in a lot of sports romances!! May, the FMC, was brilliant and I loved when the focus was on her.

The connection and romance between May and Colt felt very appropriate for the audience with limited sexual scenes but more of a focus on emotional connections.

There was also very in depth lacrosse analysis and storyline so if it’s a sport for you, you will LOVE this!!

Favourite Parts & Tropes: college and sports romance, women in sports, fake dating.

I loved how this book talked about the women’s side of professional sports. Something that is still not fully on par with the men’s side of the sports world especially women’s lacrosse. I grew up with a brother who played lacrosse so when I saw this arc I was immediately interested in it. I loved how both the MMC and FMC helped each other when it came to physical or mental blocks they both had within the sport itself. I felt the story moved along pretty well and glad we got an HEA for the characters. Thank you NetGalley, Esha, and publisher for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

3/5 ⭐️ This was a cute easy read! I really enjoy sports romance books, and was originally drawn to this one as you don’t really see too many books about lacrosse. I enjoyed the balance of sports and romance in this story, but I did initially find this one a bit difficult to connect with at the beginning!

Overall this was a heartwarming read, and I did enjoy this book.

A fun, summer rom com with a sporty twist!
I didn't know anytihng about lacrosse before reading this book, but it provides a great backdrop for this story!
May is the perfect fiery FMC with a strong, determined outlook and a dedication to her sport.
CJ is the brave, but vulnerable MMC who has never forgotten his first love.
When CJ starts coaching May's lacrosse team, the two have to put their past behind them for the good of the team, but the past never stays in the past...
Cute, sweet and I loved every single one of the side characters too!

This book was like a little ray of sunshine! I’ve never read a lacrosse sports romance before, and it felt so fresh and exciting. The balance between the sports and the romance was spot on, and I loved the mix of fake dating with a second chance twist. It was sweet, a little bit spicy, and gave me all the warm, fuzzy feelings. The kind of story that wraps around you like a cozy blanket and leaves you smiling long after you’ve finished. Totally charming and unexpectedly delightful!

Super cute!!! I loved this second chance romance! I found May honestly super relatable and their slow burn had me on the edge of my seat waiting for them to finally get together

This was a bit of a struggle for me and I debated between 2 and 3 stars so we’ll say 2.5.

I felt like this was second chance but we really didn’t know their history. Every time it was brought up it was very vague, so it was hard to believe Colt moving had this lasting impact on both of them. They also never finished a conversation about their past and were just suddenly over it and fine. It all felt a little chaotic.

Overall this one just fell flat for me.

Unfortunately, I didn't like this book too much. Generally I'm fine with sport romances, I don't have a problem with them. However, this felt boring and basic. The characters felt bland, and annoying at the same time.

I had to dnf this quite early on, everything just wasn't for me. Even if I don't like books, I tend to finish them. Unless, I really don't like the writing style, and I'm sorry to say, that's what happened here.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC📖🔆🗯️

Thank you to Netgally, Avon books and the author for the advanced copy of this book! Opinions are my own.

I rated this book 4.25 ⭐️
It was cute and fast paced and very easy to read. I love love love my sports romance books and this one was just as good.

We follow May, who wants to be a pro lacrosse player, and Colt, who is a pro lacrosse player, and their fake dating journey. With the female lacrosse team getting good press and outreach, they pretend to date until the team is happy.
But what happens when the feelings aren’t fake anymore?

Overall this was a good read, if you’re looking for something to get you out of a book slump this is the book for you!

A MUST READ !!

Such a good story !! And I will recommend this to anyone and everyone !!

Wow !!

This was a cute, light read. The characters were a bit stiff, especially the MMC, but overall I still enjoyed the book.